Why are my dog's paw pads chapped and nose discolored in winter?

Question

My little dog is having an issue with his foot pads. He's a black dog and normally his pads are black but now they are white and look to be chapped and I just noticed his nose is doing it to. What could this be and how do I treat it? I'm in Michigan and it is currently very cold and snowy outside

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Poor pup! The snow, ice, and salt on the ground to melt the ice can be very hard on a dog's paws. While he is at home, you can put a little vaseline on his paws to help the chapping. Put a sock over his paws to keep him for licking at the vaseline, and put some tape very loosely on the top of the sock to keep it on. You may have to put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at the socks, and you can get one from your vet's clinic or a pet store. When you are walking him outside, I recommend getting Musher's Secret. That will help protect his paws from the snow, ice, and salt. You can get it online or in a pet store. As for his nose, he may have snow nose, which is when a dog's nose turns lighter in color in months when there isn't much sunlight. It should become darker again when spring and summer returns.

Why are my dog's paw pads chapped and nose discolored in winter?

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